Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' QBs and growing LB depth, the Cavaliers' draft choices and the steady rise of the Indians' Michael Brantley

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerWhat? Brandon Weeden hasn't been named the starter yet for the Browns? Perhaps the team just wants to provide something for fans to obsess over for another couple of months?

Realistically, do you believe the Browns would draft Brandon Weeden at No. 22 and then not prepare him to be the starting quarterback? Sure, they can talk about "competition," whatever that means. They have yet to anoint Weeden as a starter ... and in the name of Otto Graham, it's already the middle of June!

What are they waiting for?

I don't really care what they say in public, Weeden is their guy. Just watch the body language when coach Pat Shurmur discusses his new quarterback. He's like a teenager who just got his first new car -- and he thinks it's a Corvette.

I don't really worry much about Weeden not always taking snaps with the first team -- and it's June already! And these guys are in ... shorts! I trust the fact that when it comes to preparing quarterbacks, Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress know what to do.

When he was offensive coordinator in St. Louis, Shurmur put Sam Bradford in to start as a rookie. Childress was the head coach in Minnesota, the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. He has handled more than a few quarterbacks.

You can be sure Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert -- two veteran football men -- are not about to allow anything in practice to sidetrack Weeden. They are heavily invested in making sure their 28-year-old quarterback is ready, because they were strongly second-guessed nationally for drafting Weeden too high.

This is not 2009 when Eric Mangini was the coach and was picking between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Mangini really wanted to select "None of the above." Since that wasn't an option, he counted practice and preseason game snaps to make sure it was "fair" and evenly divided.

Nor is it Romeo Crennel "flipping a coin" between Anderson and Charlie Frye to select a starter for the first 2007 preseason game.

Shurmur already said Weeden has received the most snaps, and it sure appears that way at the OTAs and in minicamp the last few weeks.

About Colt McCoy ...

Questions about whether McCoy is happy are misplaced. He knows Weeden is destined to start, unless the rookie from Oklahoma State is injured or forgets how to play. McCoy wants to start.

The real question about McCoy is this: Is he disruptive around the team? The answer is no. Has he practiced as he should, done his work in meetings and everything else that is expected of him? The answer is yes. That's according to the coaches that I checked with.

There are better and more successful quarterbacks than McCoy (6-14 as a starter) who were starting a year ago and now are backups: Jason Campbell (Chicago), Rex Grossman (Washington), Kyle Orton (Dallas) and Vince Young (Buffalo). All but Campbell (31-39) have winning records for their careers as starters. Campbell was 11-7 in the past two seasons.

So it's not as if McCoy would leave here and compete for a starting job somewhere else.

Happy or not, he'd be wise to make it work here as a backup and be ready in case Weeden is hurt or severely falters.

About the Browns ...

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerRookie linebacker James-Michael Johnson (with special teams coach Chris Tabor) has the look of a fast-rising contributor as the Browns plan their defensive depth chart.

1. Fifth-round pick James-Michael Johnson has impressed at linebacker, which is important. With Scott Fujita likely suspended for the first three games -- and ending the past three seasons on injured reserve -- there is a need for depth at the position. Johnson (called "JMJ" by coaches and teammates) has looked good at middle linebacker and on the outside.

2. If Fujita is out, Kaluka Maiava joins D'Qwell Jackson and Chris Gocong in the starting lineup. Johnson becomes the top backup. The Browns also want him on special teams. They like how Johnson has been able to get the players in the right positions when filling in for Jackson at middle linebacker. It probably would not be wise to play Jackson 100 percent of the snaps, as they did last season because of a lack of depth.

3. It's early, but I hear undrafted rookie receiver Josh Cooper has been more impressive than Carlton Mitchell, who has spent most of the past two years on the inactive list. The Browns like Cooper's hands. He caught 139 passes from Weeden the past two years at Oklahoma State.

4. Seventh-rounder Brad Smelley of Alabama has looked good on special teams, and as a tight end/fullback. A player in his spot needs to show he can play a few positions and be important to special teams. Cooper also has shown that he can help in coverage units.

5. While the Browns are very upbeat about Mohamed Massaquoi, I have doubts because of how he's played the past two years and because he has had two concussions in that span. Greg Little looks strong. After that, the receiver positions should be wide open.

About the Cavaliers ...

View full sizeGerry Broome, Associated PressHarrison Barnes' offensive skills provide a sharp contrast for the Cavaliers, who are looking for a wing player in the draft. Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is more of a defensive stopper and hustle player.

1. A year ago, the Cavs entered the draft knowing they were well along the road to having a good day. They had Kyrie Irving on top of their draft board and believed he was a very good point guard. They didn't expect such a sensational first season, but they knew he'd be a player who could start immediately and make an impact. That allowed them to know the success of their draft didn't rest or fall with the No. 4 pick, Tristan Thompson.

2. As in 2011, most teams are really sold on only one player. Last year, it was Irving. This year, it's Anthony Davis (headed to New Orleans, which has the first pick). I keep hearing Thomas Robinson to Charlotte at No. 2. I also hear the Bobcats want to trade the pick. I know with Michael Jordan running the team, who knows what they'll do? But it probably won't be the wisest choice, based on his past draft moves.

3. I sense the Cavs may favor Jeremy Lamb over Bradley Beal, but it's close. And I also sense they are in a real dilemma when looking at Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs. Harrison Barnes. They love everything about Gilchrist except his outside shot, which is very iffy. A small forward needs an outside shot.

4. Barnes looks like a better shooter than what the numbers show, as he made 47 percent of his 2-pointers. He shot 36 percent on 3-pointers last season and 44 percent overall from the field. He had averages of 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and shot 72 percent at the line. Beal (a 6-4 guard) averaged more rebounds (6.7 per game) than the 6-8 Barnes. Most fans also know Barnes shot 20-of-61 (including 6-of-23 on 3-pointers) in the NCAA Tournament and attempted only 14 free throws in four games.

5. No one told me this, but if the Cavs do have to pick between Barnes and Kidd-Gilchrist, I think they go with the forward from Kentucky because of his work ethic, defense and leadership. Kidd-Gilchrist shot only 25 percent on 3-pointers. He averaged 7.4 rebounds and shot 75 percent at the foul line. He is excellent when going to the rim on the fast break.

6. Don't be surprised if the Cavs consider Darius Miller in the second round. A 6-8 senior forward, he averaged 9.9 points and shot 47 percent. Those are modest numbers, but Miller played for Kentucky with all those first-round picks. Kentucky's Terrence Jones also may have late first-round value.

7. For a late first-round pick (the Cavs have the No. 24 choice), I like Andrew Nicholson from St. Bonaventure. I saw him in person against Cleveland State, and on television a few times. The 6-9 senior averaged 18.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and shot 57 percent from the field, including 43 percent on 3-pointers. He's not extremely athletic, but he's skilled.

8. I have been critical of Andre Drummond. This item from Draftexpress explains why some teams are very intrigued, despite Drummond shooting 29 percent from the foul line: "Drummond (6-9.75 without shoes, 7-6.25 wingspan, 279 pounds) breaks the mold at the center position. Drummond is a fraction of an inch shorter, 30 pounds heavier, and has a 4-inch longer wingspan than the average center in our database. Couple that with his stellar athleticism and you have one of the more unique players in this draft class. Drummond measured in as the heaviest and longest player at the 2012 combine. ... Drummond's combination of length and weight, and his body fat (7.5 percent) ties center prospect Samuel Deguara (7-3.4 without shoes) for having the lowest body fat in our entire database among prospects weighing over 270 pounds."

About the Indians...

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerThe Indians' patience is being rewarded by the recent offensive surge of center fielder Michael Brantley.

1. When it comes to the Tribe making Tyler Naquin their top draft pick, many fans moaned, "Not another left-handed hitter!" This is not the NFL draft, where guys play right away. It took Jason Kipnis 2 1/2 seasons to make the majors, and that's almost a rocket pace. Baseball America had Naquin rated a low-first rounder, but also called him "the best pure hitter in the entire 2012 draft. ... He also has the best throwing arm among college outfielders." The magazine questioned his ability to play center, a position projected for him by the Tribe.

2. I have no clue if Naquin was the right pick. I do know the Indians need outfielders. I do know that just because they took a guy like named Trevor Crowe (first round, 2005) and flopped -- well, that doesn't indicate this selection will be a failure. In that same 2005 draft where Crowe was the No. 14 pick, the 23rd selection was another left-handed college outfielder without much power. His name is Jacob Ellsbury, and he's become a career .301 hitter for Boston. Naquin is expected to sign very soon.

3. The latest physical setback for Grady Sizemore shouldn't be a shock, not after surgeries on everything from both knees to his back to his elbow to two sports hernias in the last three years. The Tribe continues to defend its decision to sign Sizemore for $5 million this season -- the argument being you can't get much of an outfielder for $5 million. I was against it then, and my argument was this: "Keep the $5 million and perhaps you can use it around the trading deadline to add a talent (and a contract) during the season. Travis Hafner's ($13.5 million) contract also comes off the books next season, so perhaps a team would be willing to dump a talented but overpaid hitter on the Tribe."

4. Perhaps the best thing about Sizemore's latest setback is that the Tribe can simply leave Michael Brantley in center, which should have been the plan to open the season. Brantley turned 25 in May, and it is time for the Tribe to just let him play. It's doubtful he'll develop the power most teams want from a left fielder, the spot he played when Sizemore was active. But in center, his bat is not liability.

5. That's especially true if two things continue: A) He plays a respectable center field. B) He establishes himself as a .280 hitter with an OPS in the .750 range. Brantley went into Saturday night's game doing both. He has recently made a couple of spectacular plays in center, and his overall defensive performance has improved. He seemed shaky earlier in the season. He'll never have even an average arm, but he can hit the cut-off man.

6. Brantley is hitting .284 (.724 OPS) with a homer and 29 RBI. He's stolen nine bases. He hitting .286 vs. lefies, .284 vs. righties and .321 with runners in scoring position. His 16-game hitting streak has caught some attention, but Brantley has been improving in the last few years -- although rather slowly.

7. In 2010, a 23-year-old Brantley hit .246 (.623 OPS). Last season, it was .266 (.702 OPS) This guy is a career .303 minor-league hitter with the natural fluid moments of an athlete. Patience may be paying off for him. That's critical, because there are no real center field prospects (sorry, Zeke Carrera) at the upper levels of the farm system.

8. After his concussion, not only does Carlos Santana seem to wince very hard when he takes a foul ball to the face mask -- so do I. I really would not want him to catch more than 4-5 times a week, the rest he can DH or play first base.

9. Shelley Duncan (.200, 4 HR, 12 RBI) has really struggled. Since May 1, it's .167 with 2 HR and 4 RBI. He is out of minor-league options. If Matt LaPorta produces, he could take Duncan's spot as it doesn't make much sense for the Tribe to have two right-handed hitters who can play left field and first base.

10. The Indians want Lonnie Chisenhall (zero walks, 30 at-bats) to show patience at the big-league level. He walked only eight times in 223 plate appearances for the Tribe last season. He has a sweet swing, he has some power -- but pitchers will make life tough for him if he doesn't control the strike zone.

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